Saint Mary's College, Mauritius
The Saint Mary's college is a Catholic, private secondary school for boys in Mauritius based in Rose-Hill.
Bishop Daniel Liston approached the Brothers of the Irish District while on holiday in his native country in 1951 about setting up a Catholic college for the region of Beau Bassin-Rose Hill.
Liston replied that he had bought a site of 31⁄2 acres, 3/4 of a mile from the centre of Rose Hill, next to the railway station, bus route and the Church.
A new site was found at the corner of Ambrose and Gordon streets, Rose Hill, behind the Plaza and Municipal grounds.
In a proposed contract marked 'Submitted to the Regime, 26 March 1953', Liston said that the Bishop of Port Louis invites the Brothers to open a secondary school at RoseHill, that he had procured a 41⁄2 acre site which should serve for about 4 years, and undertook to build a college with a residence for the Brothers before the end of that time.
His chief contribution was the organisation of the Classical Side of the College, apart from music, drama and laying out of the grounds.
Besides having a full teaching schedule he was the 'handyman' at St. Mary's putting up blackboards and notice boards, painting the old dwelling house, fixing taps, lights and switches at strategic points, mending doors, windows and partitions.
Less than an hour before he left the results of the 1958 School Certificate arrived, 9 passes out of 10, from the first group of pupils who joined the College when it opened in January 1954.
Cyclone Alix on 19 January 1960 blew down the verandah of the Residence, an old wooden colonial house, and weakened the whole building considerably.
The work on the extension was delayed, and in January 1961 it was decided to build two stories of classrooms above the hall which was being constructed along Ambrose Street.
Up to then the College had subsisted on fees and the proceeds of fairs, with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Port Louis assuming responsibility for capital expenditure.
The Diocese of Port Louis paid for the building of the school, but there was little or no money available for the development of the grounds, but a number of the Brothers in the earlier years spent much time on this.
Gradually after the independence, the major of the Diocese of Port Louis ceased and the development of the college was funded mainly through the parent-teacher association internly.
for the resumption of studies on 16 January 1962, are given as: 355 pupils, 7 Brothers (including 2 in St. Enfant Jesus Primary School) and 7 lay teachers.
On 18 July 1962 a letter from the Ministry of Education granted St. Mary's College 'A Status' for both Classical and Science studies.
Donard Fergus returned to Mauritius and joined the staff of St. Mary's, having already taught for 6 years in St. Joseph's.
Th Nowadays the Old Boys Association frequently organises gathering at the college and capitalises their connection.
Former students who became famously known are namely Arvin Bollell, Harish Balgobin, Jocelyn Renaud le Père Eddy Coosnapen, Antoine Law and Ian Ernest among others.
On 19 March St. Mary's lost by five points, 113 to 118, at an athletics meeting with the much longer-established St. Joseph's College.
Antel, World Organiser of Past Pupils Unions in the schools of the Brothers visited Mauritius.
The question of a new residence for the Brothers in Rose Hill came to a head at the Irish District Retreat held in Navan in July 1970.
Permission was given to the Brothers in Mauritius to explore the possibility of collecting the necessary funds but little faith was placed in renewed promises of help from Rome.
A plot of ground 182 by 84 ft (55 by 26 m) containing the ruins of three houses existed just across Ambrose Street from the main gate of the College.
The Community were of the opinion that 8 Brothers were required for the good running of the College so Gustave Rey drew up plans for a house with 9 bedrooms en suite.
When it was agreed to proceed, Bros. Michael and Anthony informed Bishop J. Margeot during the priests' Retreat at Foyer de L'Unité.
The small house in the grounds of the College was given over for offices, changing rooms and an Audio Visual Centre.
In January the 21st anniversary of the College was celebrated with an exhibition of Photographs, and some new books were purchased for the library of the Community.
For some unknown reason the sending of Historical Supplements to Rome by the Communities in Ireland and Mauritius ceased in 1977.
